Alternative Newsweekly Foundation

Tax-deductible

Washington, DC501(c)(3)Civil Rights & AdvocacyEIN 30-0100369Revenue $5.3M in FY2025

On file with the IRS253 Tennessee Ave Ne, 20002-6427 · Washington, DCTax-exempt since Sep 2018Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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The Alternative Newsweekly Foundation is dedicated to the promotion of independent journalism.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
94¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$74K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $915K a year · 20% of revenue · last 3 filings
Fine: a surplus in 2 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
94%
of spending
Looks good: 94% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$74K
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 89% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
22
named funders · $1.1M
Looks good: 22 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$13K
0.5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$5.3M
-3% vs prior year
Spent
$3.9M
To programs
94%
Net assets
$2.8M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$5.3M
FY2025▼ -3%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$79K
FY2022$137K
FY2023$2.8M
FY2024$5.5M
FY2025$5.3M
Expenses
$3.9M
FY2025▼ -36%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022Not on file
FY2023$895K
FY2024$6.1M
FY2025$3.9M
Net assets
$2.8M
FY2025▲ +105%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$18K
FY2022$18K
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$2.8M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending September 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Form 990 (PDF) Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Exemption reinstated (2015-02-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 2018.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

94 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 94% · $3.6M Management & general 5% · $181K Fundraising 1% · $49K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

11 people listed on the 990; $74K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director & Secretary
$73,545Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Ellen Meany’s $74K as Executive Director & Secretary is at the 11th percentile of top reported officer pay among 797 $1–10M civil rights & advocacy nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Ellen Meany$73,545—
Ellen J Meany—$20,188

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Alternative Newsweekly Foundation executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Promotes independent journalism by mentoring, training, and supporting local reporters to produce impactful collaborative reporting in historically disinvested communities across the United States.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $2.0M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Feln

Fund for equity in local news, a fiscally sponsored project of anf, received grant funding from google news initiative to produce the transformation tech lab series, which delivered training and grant funding to 240 news outlets over a two-year period (june 2023-DEC2024).

$1.5Mprogram expense
02

Coaz

Conecta arizona, a fiscally sponsored project of anf, is an independent news organization that uses grant funding and small donations to produce a news website, news podcasts, and news events in arizona. Grant funding periods are spread over multiple years. Coaz has not yet spent all of its grant funding.

$392Kprogram expense
03

Alta

Altavoz lab, a fiscally sponsored project of anf, is an independent news organization that mentors, trains and uplifts local reporters to produce impactful and collaborative accountability and service-oriented reporting projects at outlets serving historically disinvested communities across the U.S.

$156Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 22 funders →
Grants paid · 72 grants · $2.2M · 2024–2024
Oregon Journalism ProjectOR · FY2024$375,000
Chicago News Weekly LLCFY2024$151,450
Grassroots DCFY2024$109,250
What's Happening INCFY2024$102,025
Arkansas Times Limited PartnershipFY2024$99,988
Milestone Communications INCFY2024$62,337
Hbcu Digital Media CollaborativeFY2024$60,957
Embarcadero Media FoundationCA · FY2024$40,000
Valeria FernandezFY2024$33,335
Flagpole INCFY2024$29,300
Nwa News Project LLCFY2024$25,929
Beat Media INCFY2024$25,694
Unitemized GrantFY2024$20,000
Cleveland SceneFY2024$20,000
Novedades News INCFY2024$20,000
Denver Weekly News LLCFY2024$20,000
Imm Publications Co INCFY2024$20,000
Afro American Co of Baltimore CityFY2024$20,000
See all 72 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$5.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$210K
Investment incomeLn 3$412
Money outPt IX
$3.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.6M
Managementcol C$181K
Fundraisingcol D$49K
Owns and owesPt X
$2.8M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.3M
Total assetsLn 16$2.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$210K
Investment incomeLn 3$412
Total revenueLn 12$5.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$2.3M
SavingsLn 2$5K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.3M
Total assetsLn 16$2.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$13K
Net assetsLn 32$2.8M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$673K$2.3M
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M$2.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$80K$13K
Net assetsLn 32$1.3M$2.8M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$2.2M$2.2M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$44K$44K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$121K$73K$42K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$76K$46K$27K$4K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$18K$11K$6K$917
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$10K$6K$816
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$48K$48K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$32K$32K
Office expensesLn 13$14K$8K$6K
TravelLn 17$7K$4K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$19K$12K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.3M$1.2M$745$37K
All other expensesLn 24e$4K$3K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.9M$3.6M$181K$49K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $5.3M$3.9M$1.4M$2.8M 990 PDF
FY2024 $5.5M$6.1M−$593K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.8M$895K$1.9M$1.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $137K$18K 990 PDF
FY2021 $79K$18K 990 PDF

Want to add your own materials alongside these filings? Claim this org

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $5,286,232 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $5,208,899$5,075,900
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $258,328$209,920
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$412
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $5,467,227$5,286,232
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $4,654,874$2,261,335
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$232,034
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,405,540$1,376,701
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $6,060,414$3,870,070
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$593,187$1,416,162
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $5,286,232 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,075,900
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,075,900
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $209,920$209,920
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $412$412
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $209,920 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $412$5,286,232
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,870,070 across 14 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $2,216,935$2,216,935
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $44,400$44,400
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $72,600 · Management $42,350 · Fundraising $6,050$121,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $45,826 · Management $26,732 · Fundraising $3,819$76,377
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $11,001 · Management $6,417 · Fundraising $917$18,335
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $9,793 · Management $5,713 · Fundraising $816$16,322
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,600$1,600
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $48,496$48,496
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $31,638$31,638
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $8,261 · Management $5,507$13,768
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,220 · Management $2,814$7,034
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $11,584 · Management $7,723$19,307
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,212,688 · Management $745 · Fundraising $37,109$1,250,542
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,626 · Management $1,690$4,316
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,639,934 · Management $181,425 · Fundraising $48,711$3,870,070
Part X · Balance sheet $2,777,760 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $668,297$2,274,887
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $4,265$4,589
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $725,000$475,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $864$23,284
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,428,426$2,777,760
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $79,833$13,005
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $79,833$13,005
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $98,435$140,159
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,250,158$2,624,596
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,348,593$2,764,755
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,428,426$2,777,760
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $2,764,755 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$5,286,232
XI-2 Total expenses$3,870,070
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$1,416,162
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,348,593
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$2,764,755

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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